The situation of Romanian HIV-positive adolescents

The situation of Romanian HIV-positive adolescents: results from the first national representative survey.

Young people are one of the groups most affected by HIV worldwide. For over a decade after the fall of the Communism, Romania accounted for over 50% of the total paediatric cases in Europe (Buzducea & Lazăr, 2008; Mărdărescu, 2008) with an estimated 10,000 children infected in hospital settings (nosocomial) between 1986 and 1992. Although about 3000 of these children died of AIDS, many of them have survived almost 20 years. This paper presents the methodology and the results of the first representative research on adolescents living with HIV registered with medical services in Romania (N=534 subjects) attending the nine Regional Centres for HIV Surveillance (August-October 2006). The general objective of the research was to assess the situation of 15-19 year-old young people living with HIV from Romania and the dynamics of their risk behaviours in respect to virus transmission (O'Leary, 2002). Based on the research findings, the implications for practice are discussed and specific interventions are recommended to better respond the needs of young people living with HIV.

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Editors’ note: Of the 11, 187 known people living with HIV in Romania in 2006, over 7000 were young people aged 15 to 19 years. This study in nine regional treatment centres interviewed every third young person in this age group on a broad array of aspects of their lives. Over 40% were sexually active with the average age of first sexual contact being 16.2 years, following the general pattern of Romanian youth. 70% overall reported that ‘they are at ease to use condom’ but only 59% said that they would buy a condom. Over 75% have chosen to keep their diagnosis confidential, primarily due to fear of stigmatisation and marginalisation, with 89.3% are of the view that people living with HIV lose their jobs when employers find out their status. School drop out in this cohort of young people is high, due to health concerns and family overprotection. Although many are socially isolated, others have willingly engaged in prevention campaigns and peer education programmes. Empowering these long-term survivor young people to use male and female condoms and to adhere to treatment, while offering vocational training to help them find jobs, will increase their health and wellbeing as well as their social integration.